Favourite Carly Simon Song

Wrong!

These lyrics are as good as anything Joni Mitchell ever wrote:

".She wrote better melodies than Joni and better lyrics than Carole."

No, she didn't. But I do like some of her songs. My favorite is probably "Anticipation." But I also really like a song of hers called "Three Days", which was on her second album. It's obscure, but I think it's one of her best.

Charmingly terrible video.

These lyrics are like poetry:

I adore Let the River Run. I love it unabashedly!

It really captures the excitement of New York and it's one of my all-time favourite movie songs.

It fit Working Girl perfectly.

R4 Even Carly says that was a horrible song. She just did what the producers told her to do.

I know I'm going to get "Oh, Mary!" for this, but I used to listen to this song every morning driving into work.

The guy I loved more than anyone (and who loved me more than anyone) had just gotten married to woman, and this song made me cry.

Live version of "You Belong to Me"

This song has sentimental value to me.

I had brought the album home and my father, a big fan of Noel Coward and Cole Porter, said he was really impressed with the lyrical insights.

He said to me, "People will say it's always best to tell the person you are in a relationship with everything, but think twice before you share something that can't be taken back."

"You're the love of my life."

R9 The thing I like about "You Belong To Me" is how much more desperate Carly Simon gets as the song goes on.

R11 The original song, written for a movie, had the lyric "Woody Allen" instead of "Mia Farrow."

"The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of"

I love many listed here, but Jesse, the hot guy she takes back no matter what her friends say, is mine.

I've always loved "Anticipation"

The Woody Allen version of "You're the Love of My Life."

"In the name of honesty,

In the name of what is fair.

You always answer my questions,

But they don't always answer my prayers."

Also, I agree with you, OP. I find the cult of Joni Mitchell ridiculous—she was a fine writer, but, like Patti Smith, people have exaggerated her strengths to the point that she has been catapulted as a cult figure. Carly was just as good of a writer, but Joni got more attention because she was associated with the California counterculture scene.

R17 It's weird to see Carly Simon sing "You're The Love of My Life" to her son Ben given Datalounge's Carly Simon folklore.

"Make Me Feel Something," from Spoiled Girl.

Two of the greats: "Coming Around Again / Itsy Bitsy Spider." So '80s.

"That's the Way I Always Heard It Should Be."

Gorgeous song in every way.

"That's the Way I Always Heard It Should Be."

Gorgeous song in every way.

This song always got to me because I was trying to pretend I wasn't in love with a guy (because I was so uncomfortable with my own feelings), but he called me on it:

This one is another favorite—a deep cut, and a cover, but I've always adored it. Has a psychedelic vibe to it.

This one. Brilliant lyrics. It's about sociopathy.

Mother and Father

Another great song from Hello, Big Man.

Carly being a total, cunty bitch, which I love her for:

R28 The interesting thing about that song is that Carly later said it was total fantasy. Her parents had an AWFUL marriage. And her mother was fucking a guy 20 years younger than her in the house, right under her father's nose.

Two Little Sisters

A legend in his own time.

The story goes that she got into singing because when she was a kid she had a stutter and someone told her to sing her words and when she sang them she did not stutter. She comes from the Simon and Shuster family.

I used to listen to this song all the time my first year of college, even though it was old by then.

My best friend from high school, who was an amazingly intelligent and funny person - and also extremely handsome -- let me know he was sexually attracted to me the night before I left for college. I could not believe my luck.

The thing I always liked about Carly Simon is that she's pretty witty.

She did this song about fucking with a married man who is with a very controlling woman --- while I was doing the same thing.

Carole King came up with the melodies, OP.

Her late ex-husband / certifiable whackjob Gerry Goffin was the lyricist.

(And, later, Toni Stern.)

This is a great song.

It's a pity it is an homage to Libby Titus, who Carly had a falling out with.

R37 You are an idiot.

Carole King wrote many of her own lyrics.

Including "You've Got a Friend."

This is a GREAT song:

R40, you are a bigger idiot.

Her biggest hits are attributed to "Goffin-King." That's Goffin providing the lyrics, King providing the melodies.

"That's the Way I Always Heard It Should Be" is a pop masterpiece just as good as anything by Carole, Joni or Laura.

Incredibly stupid R42: Carole Kind's biggest hit was Tapestry, for which she penned most of the lyrics.

So, kindly, fuck off.

Carly has great songs. In addition to those already cited, I would add "Two Hot Girls on a Hot Summer Night " and "The Right Thing To Do."

I love "The Right Thing to Do"

The single note intro is inspired.

"The Carter Family" had very wise and sophisticated lyrics.

Another for You Belong to Me, co-written with Michael McDonald

I stand corrected, R44. No point arguing with the genius who knows all about "Carole KIND."

Carly is something of a royal cunt, as is her talentless composer-sister Lucy.

When did Carly fall out with Libby Titus? Libby had a cameo in 1987’s “Heartburn” for which Carly did the music.

Is that you at R50, J.T.?

Carly suffered from extreme stagefright during critical years when she could have cemented her professional reputation and financial future. I saw her perform on TV in recent years and the voice was underwhelming.

This song is a pretty devastating takedown of James Taylor:

This is the first Carly Simon song I ever heard.

It will win no awards from feminists, but I thought it was very witty and melodic.

The entire Anticipation album is my favorite.

I really liked both the "Anticipation" album and the "No Secrets" one. They both had memorable albums covers, too.

I remember one of my teachers at prep school comparing the album covers of Tapestry and No Secrets and saying, "Well, Carly seems to be offering something Carly isn't." He was referring to her hard nipples under a tight shirt with no bra.

Looking back, it wasn't exactly appropriate to make such a remark to a `14-year-old boy.

Stardust

1. You're So Vain--Just a classic 2. Nobody Does It Better--My second favorite Bond theme, after A View to a Kill, and fun to sing along to, loudly and with vigor! 3. Jessie--My Jessie came and went when I was 17, and I won't tell a soul--not even myself

Off-key voice, banal lyrics, unimaginative, if sometimes "pretty," melodies.

Of course, mediocrities would celebrate her and twats would fantasize and sing along.

That's what such people do.

R61=Ed Schlossberg

There's a reason you still hear this song on the radio every day.

Not a perfect rendition, but, charming.

PROGRAMMING NOTE: R61 will be back within the hour, once he's finished tearing the limbs of his cats.

I love a lot of her stuff - too many to mention (and a number of them mentioned here).

Here's one I don't think has been mentioned yet:

"Back Down to Earth"

Just for the fun of it . . .

Tired of Being Blonde

I never knew Christopher Reeves played the piano!

(He seems very gay here)

I like Carly a lot, especially when she goes completely off the rails (I've posted her novelty 'Kissing with Confidence' with Will Powers elsewhere.)

Then there's this amusing, Devo-esque, kinda woke thing from Come Upstairs, ca. 1980.

This song is so beautiful and reminds me of my first boyfriend:

I haven't seen any love for 1990's Have You Seen Me Lately? album so I'll offer "Didn't I?" It's not my favorite but it's sweet and sad. That was probably the last Carly album I really loved.

She is the most equine of my sisters.

Theme song from The Spy Who Loved Me

Touched By The Sun

You’re The One

Don’t Wrap It Up

She sounds pitchy. Of course, it was before auto tune and melodyne...

I spent my 29th birthday drinking Bellinis and listening to her Clouds in My Coffee box set. Can't believe no one's chimed in with her take on Sondheim!

Night Owl, with JT and Paul McCartney singing backup

"Let the River Run" followed by "You're So Vain."

Surprised more Dlers aren't talking about her horse face.

What’s going on with her health? Is she ok?

I never wore an apricot scarf. I'm not a fag.

Bunny, she thought she was my best friend! Mwahahahahahahaha

In one of the nastiest things I think I've ever read, rockcrit Robert Christgau once opined, "If a horse could sing in a monotone, the horse would sound like Carly Simon, except the horse wouldn't rhyme 'yacht,' 'apricot' and 'gavotte.'"

Talk about your "pointless bitchery!"

Boys in the trees. Still a haunting song.

Her Greatest Hits Live is a masterpiece. It Happens Every Day, All I Want Is You, Do the Walls Come Down and Never Been Gone are amazing deep cuts that are better than some of her most popular radio hits. I return to this album time and time again.

I remember in that gossipy Sheila Weller book about the three of them, Joni said that Carole and Carly weren’t her peers, only Laura Nyro was (for bombastically hermetic lyrics, I would add).

Not my favorite but certainly notable, a fabulous collaboration with Chic -- "Why?"

Not my favorite but certainly notable, a fabulous collaboration with Chic -- "Why?"

[quote]I haven't seen any love for 1990s Have You Seen Me Lately?

That song was written for the movie "Postcards From The Edge."

But Meryl couldn't sing it because of the range. So it was ditched at the last minute.

Anyone read her latest? I don't understand how someone as attractive and smart as Carly let the men in her life walk all over her they way they did. Reading about her second marriage in particular was sad. It seemed doomed from the start.

Poor Jackie tried to knock some sense into her time and time again regarding the second husband, but Carly wasn't having it.

Meryl had a bigger range than Carly Simon... Simon couldn't sing the latter part of "I'm Checking Out" in the same arrangement as Meryl.

This one with James Taylor...it brings tears to my eyes

r81 that's because she wears her horse face quite well

I’ll bet she gave excellent head to James’s humongous cock with that huge mouth of hers.

[quote]I don't understand how someone as attractive and smart as Carly let the men in her life walk all over her they way they did.

She was sexually abused as a child. That fucks people up.

Plus, she had two emotionally distant parents. That does a number on people, too.

As a result, Carly is very insecure and doesn't think she genuinely deserves to be loved. Her children walk all over her, too. Especially Sally, who is awful.

[quote] I’ll bet she gave excellent head to James’s humongous cock with that huge mouth of hers

Yeah right. You try getting off with those chompers coming at your sweet baby James

I never experienced that problem, pops.

Mockingbird.

"Strip, Bitch" was the title of a chapter about James in her autobiography.

There seems to be a DL consensus that "Boys In The Trees" is one of her best songs.

"Boys In The Trees" has amazing lyrics.

I think Tori Amos covers it in concerts.

Not her song but I love it.

R103: “Last night I slept in sheets the color of fire.”

I like Carly but did not care for her catalogue of standards.

I like this song. She wrote it, but it was done in the style of a standard and appeared on an album of them.

[quote]I think Tori Amos covers it in concerts.

You have become as annoying as the Gap Playlist Guy. Who gives a fuck what Tori Amos does?

R108 Kindly close your rancid snatch. Seagulls are flocking.

I really like this song. The lyrics are really good and the arrangement is very interesting.

It is off the album I think is Carly's best: Another Passenger.

"We Your Dearest Friends" could be DL's official song.

We, your dearest friends

Judge you "guilty"

Here and now

Of thinking you're a star

When it's all over

Nobody wants you

And we the least of all

It's been a long time since

You had those famous lovers

Agree re: "Another Passenger," R110. So, naturally, it's the lone album of hers that's been out of print for quite awhile. Last time I looked, used CD copies were fetching $30, $40, $50 and up on eBay.

Agree with R23/4

Her most gorgeous vocal

Jesse reminds me of the opposite from Cheap Trick.

I’ll shine up both my shoes

Put on a brand new shirt

Get home early from work, if you love me.

Both make me miss the sensation of being in love. Being young, and inexperienced. Ah, youth!

I like “ "That's the Way I Always Heard It Should Be.", but it’s a superficial commentary on marriage. Even marriages that seem unhappy may not be.

[quote]I like “ "That's the Way I Always Heard It Should Be.", but it’s a superficial commentary on marriage. Even marriages that seem unhappy may not be.

It's a song, not a memoir or an essay.

And Carly's parents' marriage seemed happy (to people outside the house) but was not. They didn't get along. Her father suffered from depression. And the mother had a live-in lover half her age. The father had also had a relationship with a woman far older than him that he never got over.

It's interesting to me how Carly's first hit was such an honest depiction of her parents' unhappy marriage. (The lyrics were written by a good friend of hers, based on what she had told him.)

Later, Carly wrote the song "Hello Big Man" which painted an entirely different picture of her parents' marriage. About the only thing that was true was how they met (when she worked the telephone at Simon & Schuster). But the "he did it all for her" was nonsense. He was successful when they met and could barely stand her when he died.

I wonder why Carly wrote such a dishonest song, as she is usually candid to a fault. Maybe to please/flatter her mother, with whom she had always had a fraught relationship. (For example, when Carly, as a teen, grew taller than her mother, her mother told her, "Men always like shorter women like me.")

After Hello Big Man, Carly revealed the secrets about her parents and her mother's live-in lover to Vanity Fair. Her sisters were furious with her.

So when her mother died, Carly went back to romanticizing her mother with the song "Like a River." (Although the song is honest enough to wonder if the mother will reconcile with her father in death.)

By the time her memoir came out, Carly was back to speaking the unvarnished truth. She even recounts a visiting friend calling Carly's mother "a whore!" for fucking her lover when her husband when he came to her room for help when he was having a heart attack. To me, Carly even putting that remark in the book -- without any qualification -- seemed to be Carly agreeing with the sentiment.

Our relationships with our parents are very complicated.

"Hello Big Man" is a great song, whether truth or fiction. The whole LP is good.

This song is my favorite from "Hello Big Man."

It's about James Taylor and very sad.

The only song I don't like on that CD is "Menemsha." The relentless use of that word by the children doing backup is like being trapped on a plane.

I've always liked You're So Vain even though it was played to death on the radio back in the day.

My absolute favorite CS song is You Belong to Me.

It makes the Doobie Brothers version sound so flat.

James Taylor sings during the chorus. Listen closely and you;ll hear.

Carly Simon - Jesse - Live At Grand Central

I suspect she has a very big pussy.